2025 Fei Zi Xiao Black Tea from Wuyishan

Fei Zi Xiao (妃子笑) is a relatively recent style of Wuyi black tea, named after Du Mu’s Tang-dynasty poem describing Yang Guifei smiling upon receiving fresh lychees. The name reflects this tea’s naturally sweet, lychee-like aroma.

Produced in Xingcun Town, Wuyishan, at around 500 meters elevation, this tea is made from Jin Mudan cultivar leaves harvested in early April 2025. Picking follows a one-bud-two- to three-leaf standard, ensuring tender, intact material. The tea is crafted using a modern black tea process that incorporates compound withering and gentle leaf agitation before oxidation, allowing aromatic compounds to develop with lift and clarity.

The dry leaves are tightly curled, dark, and glossy. The infusion is bright golden-amber. The aroma is distinctly fruity and floral, with clear lychee blossom and white peach notes. The taste is fresh, sweet, and smooth, with a rounded mouthfeel, lively sweetness, and a clean, lingering finish.